Montezemolo reiterates praise of Alonso

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has issued a statement praising Fernando Alonso and ruling out the possibility of a divide in the Ferrari camp.

Montezemolo was speaking to an Australian journalist at Maranello on Thursday morning and the team issued his comments on Alonso in a press release.

"Fernando is the best driver in the world, who always gives 200% in the races," Montezemolo said. "He knows how much I count on him, even away from the race track, in terms of his contribution and the impetus he gives to the team. I think it's incredible that there are still some so-called experts who don't understand that and are always looking for a polemical situation that simply doesn't exist.

"The truth is that he and Kimi, another incredible driver, need a competitive Ferrari and giving them that is our sole objective. We are working very hard, starting with Marco Mattiacci, who knows what needs to be done and who will instigate many changes at a technical and organizational level and in speeding up the decision making process. That's what I want, as do our drivers and our fans, while all the rest is just idle chat."

The Ferrari statement came after some cryptic comments from Alonso during his Wednesday press briefing in Monaco, in which he was asked about praise from Mercedes boss Dieter Zetsche earlier in the week. Alonso said that it was nice to hear Zetche's comments but felt he did not have the same support from some closer to him.

"It's always welcome when people see your job in a good way and respect what you try to do and try to achieve," he said. "It's sometimes strange to see good comments and good compliments from people from outside, and the opposite from people who are supposed to be close to you. It's motivating for me and good to see receive comments, but it's funny when you see the opposite in your closest friends."